Ship-raising device.



L. FARNHAIVI.

SHIP RAISING DEVICE.

APPLl'cATloN FILED Amm. 191B,

Patented Apr. 15, 1919,

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L..FARNHAM;

SHIP RAISING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FlLED AuG.|0. 191s.

Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 LEONARD FARNHAM, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SHIP-RAISING DEVICE.

Leconte.

specification of Letters Patent.

1 atented Apr. 15, 1919.

Application led August 10, 1918. Serial No. 249,304.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, LEONARD FARNHAM, a citizen of the United States7 residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ship-Raising Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for rais-A ing sunken vessels and aims to provide a tank or hollow body adapted to be filled with water and sunk for attachment to the vessel, the tank containing a gas generator which is removably positioned therein and operated from the outside of the tank to cause a mixture of the gas generating elements.

The invention also aims to provide novel means for holding the gas generator closed until sufficient gas has been generated to displace the water, when the generator is automatically opened the water escaping through outlet valves which are automatically closed after the water has been removed, the tank then being filled with gas to add to its buoyancy. It is of course ob vious that any number of tanks may be used, their number being regulated by'their capacity and the weight of the vessel to be raised.

In the drawings :f-

Figure 1 is a sectional view through a tank Constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing fied form of the invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail and particularly to Fig. 1 there is shownv a tank 10 which may be of any suitable shape or size. This tank is providedwith a centrally located compartment 11 which communicates with the interior of the tank proper through openings 12, the compartment being closed by a threaded cover 13, which is removably secured upon a sleeve or neck 14 disposed con'centrically with and forming a continuation of the compartment 11. The sleeve 14 is surrounded by a sleeve `15, -which is secured to the tank and is closed by a threaded cover 16. Located upon opposite sides of the tank 10 are sea cocks 17, which are controlled by valve stems 18 and are open for the purpose of filling the tank with water so that it may be easily submerged for the modiattachment to a sunken vessel, the tank bei reception of a generator 20 for the formation of a gas, preferably lhydrogen gas, which is formed by a mixture of potassium and water, although any suitable alkaline substance may be employed for mixture with the proper acid or fluid for the formation of gases of various natures. For the purpose of forming hydrogen gas, the generator 20 is divided into separate compartments through the medium of a glass partition 21, although any other brittle or easily broken material may be substituted for the glass. The potassium is adapted to be placed in the upper compartment 22 within the generator and a sufficient quantity of water in the lowercompartment 23, while a threaded rod 24 extends through the lids 13 and 16 into the generator and in contact with the glass partition 21. The outer end of this rod is provided ywith an operating handle 24', so that it may be readily operated and, forced against the partition 21 for the purpose of breakingthe glass and permitting the potassium to mix with the water in the chamber 23. The generator 20 is preferably provided with a restricted neck portion 25, the mouth thereof being closed by a water tight cap 26, the latter being securely held in position by water within the sleeve 14 which presses upon the cap.

After the tank has been secured to the sunken vessel the sea cocks 17 are closed and the threaded rod operated to break the glass 21 for the purpose of mixing the otassium with the water to start the generation of the gas. After sufficient pressure has been created, 'the gaswithin the generator will lift the cap `26, escaping from the generator into the tank proper through the ports 12 and displacing the water within the tank.

In order to permit of the escape of the water, outlet valves 27 are provided, the seats 28 of these valves being located in the end of the pipe or passage 29 which extends upon the outside of the tank Aand is closed by a threaded cap 30. The valve 27 and the seat 28 are of conical formation, the former being located upon the end of a pivoted rod 31, the opposite end of this rod being located in the path of movement of a lioat 32 which.Y is movable upon a guide 33.. As

the water passes outward through the valve, the float 32 descends and contacts with the end of the pivoted rod 31, the weight being suiiicient to close the valve which. is ground within its seat to form a water tight joint.

The tank is also provided with a pressure relief valve 34, which is in the form of a disk engageable with a seat 35 which surrounds a port 36 formed in the tank l0. The

which may contain gas or compressed air,

the ysaid tank bein'g filled-and placed within the compartment either previous to or Vafter the' sumb'ergency of the tank 10. After the tank 10 has been secured to the vessel, the tank 42 is opened to release its contents for passage' into the tank l0 for the purposev of displacing water therein as-previously described, through the medium of a valve 43 which is operated by a valve stem 44 eX- tending without the tank through the lids 13 and 16' after the manner of the threaded rod Y 24. In other respects thetr'ueture is identicall of' the structure shown' and described in Fig. 1 and it is not believed necessary to repjeat the same; Y

The invention is susceptible of various other changes in its form, proportions, and Ininor details of'jconstruction and the right is reserved to make' these changes.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is l. A iloat comprising a. means whereby the said body be filled with water to submerge the same", a gas' generator within said body, a water tight' c'lo'- sure for the' generator, having a water contained chamber and an alkali contained chamber, a threaded rod' operable' from without the-bo`dy for establishing commu# nic/ation between the chambers to miX' the water and alkali for the formation of gas,

means' whereby the' formation of gas withii'i the generator will raise the closure to permit the gasto enter Jthe hollow body and displace the' water, ya water outlet valve and hollow body,

means for automatically closing the valve after the escape of the water.

2. A float comprising a hollow body, means whereby the said body may be iilled with water to submerge the same, a gas genwithout the lbody for destroying the parti- Y tion to `m'iX the contents of the generator for the v formation of gas, whereby the water tight closure will be' raised to permit the' gas to' enter the hollow body and displace the water, a water outlet valve and'v means controlled by the escape' of the water for a'utomatically closing the valve after the water has been emptied from the tank.

3. A float comprising a hollow body, means whereby the said body may be lilled with water ftol submerge` the same, a ga's generator withinl said body, a water tight closure' for the generator, means operable from without the body for starting the operation of the generator, to raise the closure and permit the lgas to enter the hollow' body andv displace thejv'fateray pivoted water outlet valve and a vertically disposed guide rod located adjacent thereto, a ioat' movable along' said rod and' enga-geable with the pivoted valve ,to automatically eio'se` the' saine after the esc-ape of the water.

4. A float comprising a hollow body, means whereby the said body may be iilled with water to submerge the saine, a gas generator within Said body and communicating with the interior thereof, water' contained cham*- ber and alkali contained chamber within the generator, a fragile partition separating the chambers, a water-tight ol'os'ure for the generator to cut off communicationv with the hollow' body, operating rod extending through the hollow body and' t'lfre`r water-tight closure for contacting' with 'the fragile partition to destroy the latter and mix the cofrtents of the generator for' th'e formation of gas, whereby the water-tight 'closure will be raised to pcrinit the gas tot enter the hollow body' and displace' the water, a water outlet vali'f'e and means controlledjby the escape of water for automatically closing the valve after the water hasv been* emptied ffi-onilthe tank.

NARD FARNHAM.

copies o1' this 'patent may be obtained or 'nve cents each, by nndressing; the feommimoner -of- 'ra-tenti;

Washington, D.' C. 

